Friends Fight
by Bralt
Summary: All friends fight. Whether it be about something foolish like a candy bar or something a bit more important like who is the best. The Dynamic Duo of Halt and Crowley are no exception. The only difference being they have to go on missions together while in fights. Suggestions for a new name welcome.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**The image of this reminds me so much of Crowley and Halt...Halt being the black kitten just sitting there and Crowley (whom I though was a blond for a few books) being the other kitten being all chummy**

Halt looked at the wood door in front of him but made no move to open it. The war with Morgarath was becoming quite heated and he needed to do something. Only a few months ago he remembered arriving in Araluen after escaping from his evil brother Ferris. In that short time, he had met a few people but only one actually made him feel that he hadn't lost everything. Now, however, the war was putting an extravagant amount of pressure upon him. Along with that was the fact that he hadn't quite had time to get over Ferris. In short, all the pressure and lack of time to think was making things quite rough for him. He raised his hand to the door and gave three quick knocks. There was a muffled reply and he grasped the door knob. Hesitating briefly, he turned it and entered the room. Pauline sat at a desk covered with papers. Around the room were books and more papers. Almost every surface was covered with the parchment as the war was making quite a lot of work for the Diplomatic system. Pauline looked up and smiled at Halt, they'd been seeing each other for about a month now with barely any word getting out. It was quite late at night and a few torches placed on the walls cast flickering shadows around the room.

"Halt," she said and stood up. "What brings you here?" she asked as she enveloped him in a hug. The mystery that usually resided in his eyes was replaced with something. Something like pain, she thought.

"We have to talk," he said quietly. She looked worried but sat down behind her cluttered desk while Halt remained standing, making it clear he wasn't going to stay long. "I don't think this is a good idea," he said. Pauline frowned, confused. "Us," he added and understanding dawned on her face, quickly followed by confusion. "Men are being deployed tomorrow to leave for battle and I'm leaving with them," he stated before she could say anything. "It's always a possibility that I may not return."

"Halt," she started but Halt shook his head.

"That's not all. I want to focus on the Rangers. We're just getting reorganized and I can't have any distractions. Maybe some other time," Halt lied. He did want to focus on the Rangers but Pauline wasn't a distraction. The real reason was he just couldn't handle it all at once. It was like shoving back a mountain with a raging storm at his back. Eventually the storm would die down and he'd figure out a way to go around the mountain but it would take time. "Maybe when things calm down more and the Corps is in better condition."

"Maybe," she whispered. "I have work to do," she added abruptly and Halt nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said before he left the room.

**Let me know what you think. Just saying, this is going to be more focused on Crowley and Halt in the next chapters and then through the story but I thought this might explain a few things that will be in the next chapter. It was better than trying to cram it all in the next chapter. :D Also, this will be before the series**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**The deal here is I wrote like two chapters of this when I got the idea so I've been going through and fixing a few things up. Don't think I'll be updating every day or anything, I'll do what I can. Don't mean to sound mean there...Anyways, without further ado, I give you, THIS!**

The late afternoon light shone through the blanket of leaves above Halt's perch in a fork in a tree's branches. It wasn't uncommon for him to be here, he found he thought best while outside and away from everything. Normally he found himself in a tree when he thought about Ferris but now it was something completely different. Now his mind was stuck on Pauline and himself. It had seemed so complicated at the time but, now that he looked back, it was fairly simple. All he'd needed was a little time to get around the mountain. He'd told her that when everything in the Corps had calmed down they could give it another shot but now it was almost a year after the war and everything was as settled as it was going to get. Yet he still hadn't made any move to welcome her back. No doubt, he wanted to. He just wasn't sure how to go about it. He was different now and it wouldn't feel right trying to pick up where they'd left off. Besides, he'd waited too long. Rumors drifted about of her involved with another man but Halt hadn't been able to confirm any of them. That was why he was in the tree right now. It was said that her partner was to be making a visit to Redmont this week and he didn't think he was ready to face the fact that he was the past and had missed his chance. It made him angry really and he just needed to think.

After a while it became apparent that he was getting nowhere with trying to think. He simply wasn't focused. He couldn't stop thinking more on who it might be than how he should move on. Deciding it was pointless to stay in the tree when he had other things to be doing, Halt began his descent.

Just as he touched down on the ground, he heard laughing voices not far away. Silently, he moved through the lengthening patches of shadow until he arrived at the edge of a small clearing. He stood still and watched as two people, a man and a woman, made their way into the clearing. They were laughing and the man had his arm draped across the woman's shoulders. Halt went to leave but stopped as a familiar voice reached his ears.

"It wasn't that funny," Crowley said with a large grin. Halt's blood ran cold when he saw the woman with his friend. Crowley had known about his feelings for Pauline and he couldn't believe what was happening. Halt froze and seemed to fade into the tree as he watched what was going on. "Let's stop. It's nice here," Crowley said and sat down with his back leaning against a fallen log. Pauline curled up so her head was resting on his chest. Halt felt his easy temper growing. If he'd gotten the courage faster, that would be him right now with Pauline curled up beside him. As it was, he felt the need to burst in and slap Crowley. The sensible part of him told him his anger was ill founded but his temperamental side gave him reasons to be angry. Like most people, Halt found it easier to be angry than to be forgiving and fine with the situation.

"How long are you staying?" Pauline asked softly after a while. Crowley stroked her blond hair and thought for a moment.

"I have to talk to Halt about a few possible missions and then check in with Arald. It'll be a while before I have to go back to Castle Araluen though," he said and hugged Pauline close to him. "I won't be long with either of them, a day at most and then we can have about a week together. I imagine Halt will let me stay at the cabin," he added.

"What will you tell him when he asks why you're staying?" she asked worriedly, dropping her usual professional demeanor.

"I think I should tell him," Crowley answered softly. "It's been about six months now and I don't feel great about not telling him. Especially since, you know, you and he had a thing," Crowley said a bit awkwardly. Pauline nodded.

"I don't like lying to him either."

"Then it's settled, I'll tell him tomorrow," Crowley said with a smile. Pauline tilted her head to smile up at him and he closed the distance so their lips were connected.

"You won't need to tell him tomorrow, he's right here," Halt said in a barely controlled voice as he stepped out of the shadows. His anger was almost overflowing; the kiss had barely been anything but it had pushed his limited temper overboard. Crowley jumped up, releasing his hold on Pauline. "Having fun?"

"Halt! I...you…how much did you see?" Crowley stammered, shocked. Pauline stood as well and looked at Halt a bit apologetically and guiltily.

"Everything," Halt said darkly. "From when you entered the clearing to when you started getting comfortable with each other."

"Halt, I didn't want you to find out like this. I swear, I wanted to tell you when it started but I didn't know how you'd react," Crowley said quickly. Halt crossed his arms. "I'm sorry Halt," he added.

"Don't be angry Halt," Pauline said and his glare swung towards her. "I told him not to tell you. I didn't want you to get upset about it," she said carefully.

"I'm not upset about it," Halt snarled though he really was. "I see you've gotten over me," he spat as an afterthought.

"It's not like that! I swear Halt; we didn't expect this to happen! It just did! We really did want to tell you but figured it be best to wait seeing as you still like her," said Crowley.

"I don't like her," Halt lied angrily. "Just shut up," he said. Crowley looked a little hurt but Halt was too cross to care.

"Halt, calm down. We can sort this out," Crowley said and started towards his friend. "Pauline, go back to the castle, I think I'll speak to Halt," he added. Pauline looked reluctantly at the two but left anyways. Halt glared after her.

"What the hell Crowley?" Halt said in an accent as he spun his head back to face the commandant. Crowley looked at him helplessly.

"I know we should have told you-"

"Damn right you should have!" Halt was almost yelling. "You knew I was getting over Ferris trying to kill me! You knew that I couldn't have her until I got over that and the war ended! So what do you do? You go and make her yours!" he yelled. Crowley shook his head.

Perhaps he was overreacting but Halt felt as if he were cheated. He'd been chased out of Hibernia; the throne he'd never wanted had been taken from him then and now this. Now something else that he had thought his was being taken. The only difference being he actually wanted this.

"It's not like that Halt! Yes, I knew you were still getting over what happened in Hibernia but I didn't mean for this to happen! Even if I did mean for it, it'd been six months Halt!"

"Just shut up," Halt said as he turned away from Crowley. The commandant tried to stop him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Halt-"he started but the other Ranger spun around and slammed his fist into Crowley's jaw. Crowley recoiled and stumbled back a few paces. Halt just glared at him. Crowley's jaw was throbbing and his anger was a bit high. He lunged forward and tackled Halt. "I wasn't trying to hurt you!" he yelled as they struggled. Crowley had the upper hand for a few moments and tried to hold Halt down. He was angry but he didn't want to fight his friend. Halt struggled and managed to get a hand free. With that, he punched Crowley in the nose and a fountain of blood began to run off the commandant's face. Crowley rolled off of Halt and staggered to his feet.

"That worked out well didn't it? Six damn months and you didn't tell me," Halt snarled as he stood up as well. Crowley tried to stop Halt from leaving but the other Ranger just kept walking away from him.

"Halt," he started. "Listen to me."

"Just leave me alone," Halt snapped and left the clearing, leaving Crowley hopelessly trying to stop the blood.

**I know Halt wouldn't have gotten that ticked now or anything but I always imagined younger Halt to be a bit more easily angered and maybe a tad bit more stubborn.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Like I said, don't get used to speedy updates like this now that school has started but I'll do my regular weekend things:D**

Halt broodingly made his way to Arald's study in Castle Redmont. The morning sunlight shone through various windows that he passed, making his foul mood seem out of place. When he had reached the Baron's study, he was let in by the guards. The room was fairly large with a desk taking up most of it. The window that looked over the courtyard was letting in natural light. There were elaborate rugs on the floor and a few paintings upon the walls to add to the feeling of royalty. Sitting in one of the two chairs that faced the desk was Crowley. Halt stood just inside the door and Arald looked at him.

"Take a seat Halt," he said. Crowley looked at Halt not unkindly. His nose was bent a little out of position and red but other than that and the shadowing around his eyes, he seemed fine. Halt took the seat but avoided eye contact with anybody. The lack of his cowl made it a little challenging though. "I need to talk to you two about a mission," Arald started.

"I can't go," Halt responded immediately. Arald frowned a little, not understanding the reluctance from Halt. Looking to Crowley, Arald went to speak again.

"Could you give us a minute?" Crowley asked before the baron said anything. Arald nodded and disappeared through a door behind his desk. Crowley looked at Halt.

"Halt, you don't even know what the mission is!" Crowley said incredulously. He had to admit Halt was acting a bit childish.

"I have my eyes on an apprentice, I was going to snag him today," Halt lied. There really weren't any good apprentices around yet and Halt knew it was a bad excuse. Crowley, seeming to know Halt simply didn't want to go because he was going as well, resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Halt, you didn't exactly show up at a great time yesterday. And you didn't let me explain," Crowley started, ignoring the apprentice excuse. "I know you were angry and I know that's why you wouldn't listen, I would have been angry if I were in your position as well. But that's no reason to be doing this. This is a serious case, you need to get over it just for now," he said.

"I don't see you getting over things so easily. I saw and heard all I needed to Crowley," Halt said in a low voice. Crowley shook his head.

"No you didn't." He could tell Halt was getting riled up again and didn't want that. At this point, trying to convince Halt not to be angry was pointless. Instead of trying to make Halt get over it, Crowley decided it might be more beneficial if Halt actually knew what was going on. "It started six months ago. I don't know how, you were sorting through everything you'd been through and I came here to talk to Arald. When I was done there, I bumped into her outside her office. I helped her pick up what she'd dropped and we started talking. Halt, I didn't mean for this to happen. Now can you please just listen to what we need to do?" Crowley said desperately.

"And yet you didn't stop it when you realized it was happening," Halt growled, ignoring Crowley's plead to go on the mission. Crowley felt a little angry, he was trying to explain it to Halt and the other Ranger just seemed to be making it sound bad.

"Halt, you can't honestly be angry at me for this!" Crowley said a bit disbelievingly.

"Yes I can Crowley," Halt said angrily.

"Stop acting like a prince!" Crowley shouted and only too late did he realize his mistake in his words. Halt glared at him with a look that could kill and for a moment that's exactly what Crowley thought he was going to do.

"What was that?" Halt asked in a dangerous voice. Crowley debated repeating it just to prove his point but instead stayed silent. His nose still ached a bit. Halt waited for a few seconds before standing and starting towards the door.

"Halt-"Crowley tried but Halt wasn't listening. Crowley followed him hurriedly. "Halt, I didn't mean that. I forgot," he said. Halt spun around to face him. "I'm sorry," he added.

"Of course you are. Just like you're sorry about taking Pauline, like you're sorry about everything," he snarled and shoved Crowley away from him. "I thought I told you to leave me alone." Though he wouldn't say it, Halt was still a bit sour about the events in Hibernia and Crowley's words had just irritated an old scar.

"Stop shoving me around!" Crowley yelled. "You think you're such a sob story! You think that you're the only one who's ever lost something? Let me tell you something, I've lost things too Halt! You took you're time with Pauline and you missed your chance, now you're acting like a child about it!" he shouted and saw the anger flare in Halt. Crowley was just barely in time to duck as Halt's fist swung out as fast as lightning.

Crowley, acting on impulse, retaliated by trying to slam his own clenched hand into the side of Halt's head. He missed and tried to follow up with a hit to the ribs but he wasn't quick enough. Halt, after avoiding Crowley's initial try, shoved the commandant back again. Crowley stumbled back a few steps and hadn't yet regained balance when Halt tackled him. Crowley landed hard after he felt his back slam into Arald's desk, the thin, elaborate rug on the floor not doing anything to soften his fall. Crowley managed to get a hit under Halt's eye but before Halt could retaliate, something knocked him off Crowley and seized him. Before he could tell what was going on, Crowley was grabbed as well and hoisted onto his feet. Crowley glared at Halt but quickly averted his eyes at the look he received. Looking around, he saw that the desk he had slammed into was now tilted as the hit had broken two of its legs. The Rangers struggled against their retainers angrily but it was no use. A few moments later an angry Arald came into the room from the same door he had exited from.

"Stop!" he roared and the Ranger's stopped struggling. Halt was glaring and breathing heavily, trying to keep his easy temper. Crowley wasn't looking at Halt, instead he met Arald's eye. "You two are grown men! Not to mention best friends!" he raged. "What is going on?" he asked Crowley. The commandant looked at Halt but neither of them answered.

"I'm leaving," Halt snapped. Taking advantage of the guard's relaxation that came with his pause in struggling, Halt easily twisted out of the man's grip. The guard made to stop him from heading towards the door but Arald stopped him with a look.

"The only way you are leaving is to pack up for your mission," the baron said in a voice that suggested no argument. It was surprising that the normally joyful baron could get so angry but Arald wasn't one to put up with horseplay from grown men. Especially these two. Halt turned to look at him.

"I'm not going on any mission with him," Halt said, glaring at Crowley.

"One man can't take on a group of Moondarkers." Arald crossed his arms, the movement a bit awkward considering his size. Both Rangers were a little surprised though neither showed it. As far as they knew, the Moondarkers were long lost history. They'd made sure of that before the Corps was back to full strength.

"They're supposed to be gone," Crowley finally said. Arald nodded.

"They were, for a short period. You went after them and you successfully scared them off. However, this whole war in Araluen a year ago wasn't exactly a secret. They took advantage of our limited power to send men other places besides the war and began sinking some of our bigger supply ships," Arald explained. "They stopped for a time after the war when we replaced our men on the coast and it wasn't a problem. Now King Duncan has been receiving news of more sinking ships. They're smaller ships but the losses are affecting the coastal villages quite a bit. At first we thought it was simply pirates but it's not so. They've practically seized the whole town they're operating in so nobody can get out and spread word. Nobody has received news from anybody within the town, the only way Duncan discovered this is because a trading ship managed to get away." Halt cursed under his breath, he absolutely hated Moondarkers. They were perhaps some of the bigger and harder threats he'd dealt with. They weren't like bandits and the sorts; they were actually smart and knew how to defend themselves when attacked. They had a system that they'd perfected and could make according adjustments to if something, like an arrow flying through their leader's head, went wrong. And even if he didn't want to admit it, he knew that it'd take at least two skilled minds to deal with them.

Crowley was released and Halt thought about simply leaving. He didn't want to hear anything Crowley had to say.

"You know these people are dangerous Halt. If we don't get rid of them it could present a huge problem," the commandant said.

"I never said I wasn't going. There is one problem with sending the both of us though. Doesn't he have the Ranger Corps to command?" Halt pointed out, half of him hoping his point would prove true and he'd get a new partner. Despite his wishing, he knew there was nobody else he'd really want to be with to deal with Moondarkers. One needed trust in their partner and some of the Corps members weren't happy youngsters were their superiors in rank. Halt couldn't think of anybody at the moment he could trust more than Crowley in a case like this. Arald looked at a paper on his desk that hadn't fallen off in the tilt.

"Duncan says that he's appointed one of the senior members until you return," Arald said. "So it's settled. The both of you will be going." The baron smiled but it was clear he wasn't in a good mood. Especially since his favorite desk had been harmed in their scuffle.

Halt turned back to the door and walked out. He may go after the Moondarkers with Crowley but there was no written rule he had to be happy about it.

**Please review :D**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Well here ye go:D**

The next morning Crowley rode Cropper down to Halt's cabin. He highly doubted Halt would leave without him but you never exactly knew with Halt. In all honesty he felt a bit guilty, he'd known Halt wouldn't react kindly to the news of him and Pauline but he didn't think it would be this bad. In the time they'd known each other, they'd never gotten into any fight besides one of words, and normally it was simply banter. Yet here they were with a total of two fist fights in the same amount of days. The sun was resting over the forest trees and dew wetted the ground. Crowley breathed in the crisp air, savoring the feeling. As he drew nearer to the cabin, Crowley frowned. Pauline was making her way down the verandah steps. Feeling a bit confused, Crowley dismounted a few feet from her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in curiosity, making his voice less harsh then he wanted to. It agitated him a bit that she was here, especially after she'd found out how he'd gotten his black eyes.

"I just wanted to make sure Halt was fine," she answered, enveloping him in a hug. Crowley returned the embrace. "Be careful," she whispered in his ear. Crowley nodded a bit awkwardly and put on a false smile as she drew back from him.

"I'll be back soon as I can," he said and gave her a quick kiss. Hugging him once more, Pauline left.

Crowley saw Halt standing on the verandah; apparently he had watched the entire thing. Crowley had to admit he wasn't happy that Pauline had come to see Halt. It seemed she was drifting away somewhat and it nagged at him. Crowley turned to Cropper and pretended to busy himself with patting the horse.

"Ready?" Halt called after a few moments. Crowley turned, still a bit annoyed and nodded. Halt went to get Abelard and then they were off.

The first hour or so went by in silence. They were going to Selsey first; the town the Moondarkers had taken residence in was about half a day north of there. Crowley didn't even try to start conversation, sticking to his own brooding thoughts instead. He'd known that Halt and Pauline had a history and that added to his annoyance. Pauline wouldn't cheat on him he didn't think but he couldn't help the feeling that she wanted Halt more. Maybe he did think something was going on with the pair but he wasn't about to pick another fight with Halt over it.

"You think something went on. Or is going on," Halt stated flatly, not looking towards Crowley and instead keeping his gaze forward.

"No," lied Crowley, glancing at Halt as he did so. Halt seemed different in attitude towards him and he didn't like it. Halt wasn't one known for talking but Crowley couldn't remember a more awkward silence than the one that had blanketed them for the past hour. At least it had been awkward for him.

"Then explain why your eyes seem to magically drift over to me every five seconds," Halt said in a neutral tone. Crowley snapped his eyes away from the Ranger, realizing he had been looking at him again.

"Fine, I do think you two have…something," Crowley answered, clearly agitated. Crowley fell into silence again, while Halt's reaction remained hidden under his cowl. The birds chirped overhead and a rabbit rushed through the brush, oblivious to the tension going on between the Rangers.

It turned out that Halt didn't feel like answering as the minutes turned into hours and the sun sank lower in the sky. When they made camp, neither of them spoke. After they'd taken care of the horses, Crowley went off in search of firewood as Halt unpacked their food supply. In ten minutes the fire was blazing and Crowley was finishing making the pot of coffee. They'd already finished the stew Halt had made. Crowley poured himself a mug, draining the pot. He'd only made enough for himself. Halt raised an eyebrow at him, the movement clear now that his cowl was down.

"What?" Crowley asked, unsettled when Halt's look didn't fade. Maybe his idea hadn't been so great.

"I'm going to bed," Halt snapped as he stood and went to his tent. Crowley resisted the urge to say something and instead watched as Halt disappeared into his tent.

Crowley stared after Halt for a few moments, still debating whether to say something. He wasn't exactly helping matters any but he wasn't comfortable with dropping everything. Not until his black eyes faded at least. He shifted and stared into the fire. He and Halt had gone through mission after mission with each other without incident and now, here they were, fighting each other and rarely speaking to each other. It still didn't sit well with Crowley that Pauline had gone to see Halt and it annoyed him a bit Halt hadn't answered him earlier. It was pointless, they needed to focus on the job at hand but Crowley couldn't help it. Something inside him was simply made for holding anger in and keeping it alive. It was all Halt's fault though wasn't it? He, Crowley, could court whoever he wished and he'd known Pauline longest. His thoughts went on for a while before he decided it was time to sleep. Finishing his coffee, Crowley banked the fire then went to his own tent, leaving the horses to guard the area.

* * *

Halt sat by the morning cooking fire he had made. The sun was just beginning to rise and the air was cool. Following Crowley's example of the previous night, he'd only made enough breakfast for himself. Including coffee. Now he sat whittling a pointless piece of wood and he didn't even like whittling. He simply didn't have the patience for it. Somebody could ask him to wait a whole night behind a tree and stalk an enemy army and he could do it, but ask him to whittle something and he'd end up throwing it across the clearing. So why was he doing it now? He couldn't even figure it out. He knew that when Crowley woke he'd probably be forced into conversation somehow and he didn't want that. Maybe if he gave the appearance of doing something, the other Ranger wouldn't speak either.

He had to admit he was glad to have Crowley with him to deal with the Moondarkers but only for that reason. He'd rather of traveled by himself and maybe be able to read Crowley's mind for a plan and compare it with his own then take care of the Moondarkers with him. The bottom line was he didn't want to talk to Crowley or have anything to do with him. It was all his fault, Crowley was the one who had started it wasn't he? He'd known Halt liked her and he had still let things progress.

Lost in his thoughts, Halt slipped in his whittling and hit his thumb with his saxe's blade. Cursing worse than an angry Skandian, Halt chucked the supposed to be wooden horse into the fire and dropped his knife. Saxe knives were meant to be sharp and keen so the result of his slip wasn't something small. The cut stretched the length of his thumb and was bleeding a good amount. Standing up, Halt went over to where the saddlebags lay and grabbed a bandage. He was wiping the blood clean from his hand when Crowley emerged from his tent, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He glanced at Halt who ignored him.

"What did you do?" he asked, forgetting they were arguing at the moment. Halt didn't answer, still cursing slightly under his breath as he wrapped a small piece of linen around his thumb. He doubted that would help anything, a saxe knife wasn't a merciful weapon. He might have to stitch it up the next time they stopped. Crowley frowned, and went to make himself a small meal. He noticed the slight smell of food in the air and realized Halt had already eaten.

When Crowley had finished and they'd packed everything up, the sun was hanging in the sky above the trees. The short journey to Selsey was as silent and grim as the one the previous day. By noon the small village was in sight.

**Please review:D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

"We can stay in the inn in town until morning then head out for The Pockets," Crowley said. The Pockets were the small villages above Selsey. They were named so for the hills surrounding them that secluded them from the inland. They were small but good places to receive trading ships and to transport the goods and were home to quite a few families. When fall came around they were what provided the coastal villages with supplies for winter. The pocket they were heading for was one of the larger ones responsible for receiving gold and the more expensive items along with some food that couldn't be found in winter. Each pocket was basically its own civilization, secluded from other pockets and towns. It was officially under Duncan's rule but was too small for any Ranger to be posted or for them to be officially dubbed any fiefs.

"You can," Halt replied curtly. They were on a mission and so far knew nothing of how the Moondarkers were operating. It was quite possible they had a man posted in Selsey and the other pockets to keep them up with what was going on outside their area. Many people made the mistake of underestimating the Moondarkers who were quite possibly the smartest thieves Araluen was victim to. Crowley nodded, he'd been thinking along the same lines.

"We can at least get a meal at the inn, see if anybody around here knows what's going on," he said. Mostly he just wanted a hot meal before they went on the rations diet. Halt didn't make any move to agree but neither did he try and object

* * *

Crowley smiled at the waitress as she walked away with his order. Halt had chosen to sit on the other side of the room, pretending to listen to the band that played on a small platform next to the fire while he kept ears out for information. The room was spacious; the bar Crowley sat at was on the left side of the door and had a clear view of the occupants sitting at tables. Four men were at the bar with him and they were pretty drunk. Crowley didn't expect to get anything out of them, he was just glad that he'd be getting a good meal. Maybe later crowds that came in would talk more, it was still rather early.

Crowley spun around on his stool and leaned against the bar as he scanned the crowded room. Halt was in the corner with his cloak on, practically becoming one with the shadows and Crowley could hardly see him through the population in the room. Crowley had opted to leave his cloak in the saddlebags; it would be easier to get people to talk if they didn't know he was a Ranger. His ever present knives were at his waist though. From what Crowley could see of his companion, he was as grim as ever as he nursed a mug of coffee.

"Here you go sir," the waitress said as she returned with his stew. Crowley smiled widely at the scent of it.

"Thank you," he answered and dug her payment out of his pocket, giving her a small tip as well. She took the money gratefully and tucked it away in a pocket. She glanced around the room and saw that nobody new had entered and nobody needed her at the moment. She sighed in relief and leaned against the bar as Crowley started eating.

"Where are you from? I've never seen you here before," she said conversationally. The constant babble in the background drowned her words somewhat but Crowley was able to understand.

"Just-"a raucous round of laughter came from the drunken men, making him pause. The laughter continued and the waitress laughed. Crowley found himself giving some small laughs as well. It finally died and Crowley smiled. "Just passing through, got some family in The Pockets," he answered and took a spoonful of stew. It was better than that which they made on the road; the difference being this stew had fresh venison and other fresh vegetables not the dried stuff they normally used. The waitress frowned a little and Crowley pretended not to notice though he was now on high alert.

"Haven't heard much from them. They're separated from us but it's getting to be fall. Usually they would have come through here already to go to the fiefs and trade. It's not good when they get stuck in cold weather," she explained and Crowley nodded.

"So I've heard. It's going to cause havoc when it gets closer to winter. The coastal towns depend on The Pockets to get them supplies for the winter," Crowley said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I hope they come before then," she said with an edge of worry then gave an amused huff. "I'm sorry, you really couldn't care less. I'll leave you to eat," she said but Crowley laughed and caught her by the sleeve. He had to admit it was nice being able to talk with somebody, especially after Halt's grim company.

"It's no problem," he said. "So what's your name?" The waitress pulled up a stool and leaned on the bar.

"Alison, my parents own the inn," she answered. "So-"

"Alison!" a man hollered from one of the tables closer to the fire. The waitress looked towards him. He was holding a mug high in the air, a signal he wanted a refill.

"I'm sorry, I have to-"

"It's fine," Crowley laughed. She smiled and walked away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Halt asked darkly from behind Crowley. Crowley jumped, dropping his spoon as he did so.

"Trying to figure out what's been going on in The Pockets," Crowley answered. "Apparently the traders haven't been through yet," he added.

"I don't think that requires all the laughing you two were doing," Halt said curtly and Crowley shifted uncomfortably, realizing what this was about.

"You have your way of getting information and I have mine. And unlike you, I don't prefer sitting in a corner pretending I'm invisible. I suppose that's what you learn when you were a depressed prince though," Crowley growled as he turned away from Halt. The something inside him that had horded and added to his anger had opened a valve and let the feeling spread through him. Now Halt was adding large logs to the fire by imploring he was flirting with the waitress.

There was a blinding sense of pain as something struck the back of his head and Crowley slid off the stool. He turned to face Halt a bit dizzily and was grabbed at the collar by an iron grip. Halt drew him close and Crowley saw pure fury in his eyes. It was far worse than his death glares.

"Say one more thing," Halt snarled. Crowley glared back at him, anger giving him confidence.

"Back off," the commandant said and kneed Halt in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Halt released Crowley and held his gut, trying to get air back into his lungs.

Before he could recover, Crowley shoved him back into a nearby table that collapsed with Halt's weight. By now the occupants of the room were watching in somewhat silence. The drunken men were shouting encouragement. Halt struggled to his feet; blood was running down from a scratch on his cheek from a splintered piece of wood. Crowley lunged forward and grabbed Halt around the neck and put him in a headlock. Halt struggled for a few moments before he finally tore free and tackled Crowley onto the hard wooden floor. From there it was like watching dogs fight as each Ranger tried to get hits on the other.

Halt had Crowley pinned on the ground and was about to say something when he was knocked off his companion. A large man that looked like a fisherman stood above Crowley. He looked furious and Crowley didn't dare to move off the floor. Halt stood and tried to move forward back to Crowley but was stopped by the other man's bulk.

"Get out of here Ranger, he wasn't causing no trouble," the man said and Crowley recognized him as the one that had called Alison over. Crowley looked around and saw Alison standing a few feet away. She'd probably mentioned him to the man because Crowley didn't see why else he'd be standing up for a stranger against a Ranger.

Halt huffed. "Have fun with your new girlfriend Crowley, I'll be sure to tell Pauline," he said before he grabbed his bow and left. The large man turned and helped Crowley up. The inn was quiet, even the drunks were watching a bit soberly. Alison walked up to Crowley and the commandant felt a sinking feeling.

"I-"Crowley's words were cut short as Alison slapped him across the face, leaving a bright red spot as she did so.

**Please review:D**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Okay, I just have a random thought here. The Ranger horses were started when Halt stole some from Arridi but wouldn't that have been after when this is taking place? I'm most likely wrong, but if I'm not then ignore the fact that they have Ranger horses before they're supposed to;)**

Crowley rode Cropper into the small camp they had made by the road out of Selsey before they'd gone to the inn. It was on the northern exit so would lead them into The Pockets the next day. The night air was chill and Crowley drew his cloak around him, his cheek was still stinging and he had a bunch of new bruises to add to his growing collection. Crowley saw the faint light of a small fire and dismounted. They were far enough off the road for the fire and themselves not to be spotted but close enough so they could make a quick getaway if it was needed. Crowley brushed Cropper and gave him water before undoing the saddle and removing the accessories. Sending him to graze, Crowley turned and sat by the fire opposite Halt. Said Ranger had a needle and was sewing his thumb up. His cheek was still bleeding a little and Crowley noticed there were scratches on his arm as well. Along with that was his own collection of bruises. Fighting Rangers seemed to cause a bit of hurt to each other.

Halt glanced at Crowley before he turned and packed the needle away, he hadn't finished the stitches on his thumb but it didn't hurt as bad as it had and it could wait. He stood from his seat and went to disappear into his tent. Crowley watched, a bit tempted to stop him but not enough to do so.

* * *

The next morning went by much as the previous one had. They each made their own breakfast before packing up and heading out. Halt had woken before Crowley and had finished stitching his thumb. It was about midday before Crowley was tempted to say anything. He noticed Cropper tossing his head in a signal and the Ranger listened. Not too far off he could detect another pattern of hoof beats. Resisting the urge to turn around in his saddle and see who it was, Crowley debated telling Halt. They hadn't spoken since the bar incident and Crowley really didn't feel like being the first to relent and say anything. Besides, Halt probably already knew there was somebody following if he was any kind of Ranger. Crowley gripped his already loaded bow tightly and, in his mind, imagined the action of him rising in the saddle, turning and releasing. He'd aim for the limbs or the horse and they could take the man prisoner to see if they could get anything out of him.

All he needed was a straight stretch of road and that seemed almost nonexistent. His problem was solved after about ten minutes when they rounded a twist in the road. He took a deep breath and prepared to shoot.

* * *

Something was off. Halt could hear it and some sixth sense made him feel it. There was the sound of the birds and the sound of the animals fleeing from the trail as they came closer. There was the sound of the synchronized hoof beats of Cropper and Abelard but there was something else as well. A third set of hoof beats and it was behind them. The thought to tell Crowley didn't even cross his mind that had been focused on accusing the other Ranger and thinking of things to do to him in a fight. Coming to the conclusion that the follower needed to be dispatched, Halt's hands tightened around his bow. He could see himself rising out of the saddle once a straight piece of land came along and drawing back and releasing. He'd aim for the heart or the head, they already knew where the Moondarkers were and he doubted they'd have told a mere guardsman they'd sent to Selsey anything important. The only thing he needed was an unwinding section of the road. As the pair rounded a turn in the road, he found the perfect spot.

They rode about halfway down the road before it happened. It took all of two seconds for the entire thing to take place. Crowley and Halt both rose in their saddles, Halt a mere half of a half of a half of a second behind Crowley. There was the familiar sound of the arrow being released and they watched as their arrows flew towards the target that had just rounded the corner, not hearing his targets stop. The brown shafted arrow hit first in the man's right arm but almost at the exact same time, a black shafted arrow pierced the man through the heart and he fell to the dirt road. His horse, scared by the arrows, turned and fled, neighing wildly as it did so.

"What the hell Halt?" Crowley snapped as he turned in his saddle to glare at the other Ranger. "Why did you do that?" he raged as he dismounted. Halt looked just as angry as he did the same. Crowley went to turn and get his arrow.

"We couldn't have him following us," Halt growled back and Crowley stopped, turning to look at Halt as he did so.

"Well congratulations, because of you, we won't be able to find anything out about the Moondarkers. Good thing he's not following us though," Crowley snarled sarcastically.

"Because they'd be dumb enough to tell their guardsman posted in another area all about their plans," Halt retorted. He didn't see why it was his fault, he didn't see how they could gain anything they didn't already know from the man. He was most likely just in Selsey as a hired man to dispatch of anybody heading for The Pockets.

"Well we won't be able to find out now will we?" Crowley said sharply and accusingly.

"So your girlfriend didn't tell you anything?" Halt growled.

"No, Halt, Pauline doesn't know a damn thing about Moondarkers. How was she supposed to tell me anything concerning them?" Crowley said furiously, fully knowing Halt was talking about Alison.

"Could have fooled me, I thought Alison was your girlfriend," Halt retorted. "You seemed to be having a good time with her last night instead of listening for useful things like you should have been," he spat.

"I did find something out! I found out that the traders haven't been through and there's been no word from The Pockets. That's more than you found out while playing the depressed mystery man in the corner!" Crowley yelled.

"I found out that you're a cheating bastard, I'd say that's more important to Pauline than the fact that traders haven't been through. Mostly because we already knew that about them, but then again, we already knew you were a bastard as well," shouted Halt.

"Yes, Halt I'm a cheating bastard for trying to get information to get rid of the Moondarkers by actually talking to people and not sitting in a damn corner where you can't hear a thing! I wouldn't be surprised if you had a few girlfriends yourself seeing as you're such a prince!" Crowley responded.

Abelard and Cropper watched their masters uneasily, feeling the tension. Their job was to protect their master but what happened if the masters attacked each other?

"You know what? I think you'd make an excellent prince. You have the fat ego and you have the lack of knowledge. All you would need is two girls to cheat on. Oh wait, you already have that," Halt spat furiously.

Crowley and Halt landed in the dust of the road, Halt slamming his head against the dirt. They continued to throw insults at each other as they tumbled in the dirt, trying to get an advantage and pummeling the other as much as possible. Dust flew in the air, covering their actions. Crowley finally pinned Halt down. Blood was coming out of Halt's mouth and his lip was torn. Crowley wasn't in any better condition.

Crowley hadn't realized when he'd pulled his saxe knife during the fight. Nor did he realize he'd actually been striking out with it and actually sliced Halt under the eye. He realized that now as he had the knife pressed against Halt's neck and there was a fine cut bleeding under Halt's eye. Both were breathing heavily and, though he didn't show it, Crowley was shaking inside. Had he actually pulled a knife on Halt? Halt, the one that, at one point in time, had been his best friend. Almost a brother in some aspects.

Halt was looking at him with hate and Crowley didn't hesitate to return it as he rolled off Halt and stood. Sheathing his knife, Crowley mounted Cropper and tapped his sides, heading north towards The Pockets. Halt stood, wiping the blood off his face before mounting Abelard. He hesitated before tapping Abelard's sides. His thoughts seemed to be stuck on the fact that his once best friend had just cut him with a knife and then proceeded to hold the knife to his throat. Maybe the Moondarkers wouldn't have to do anything, maybe they'd finish themselves off before then.

**A few things: I know there have probably been too many fights but I needed this fight for the knife reason so yea...And I don't actually know if Crowley's arrows are brown shafted but Halt has black and Will has gray, so why not let Crowley have brown? Oh and thank you Flaminglake, I was trying to write a final sentence for the chapter and was stuck but then I remembered a review you gave so yeah...thanks...please review.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**This is one of those random updates I talk about:D Probably should be studying German as my average is an 89 but you know, writing is fun**

An hour before the sun set, the two Rangers found themselves on the hill facing the sea behind the middle pocket. Below them was the small village that seemed a bit too quiet and farther out was the mass of blue that was the sea. The pocket was shaped like a horseshoe with the real beacon set on the left headland. The right headland was surrounded by shallow water and therefore it would be the perfect place for Moondarkers to set up. Halt looked down on the town, it seemed too lifeless. Sure, it was an extremely small town, barely a settlement, but there was only smoke coming out of six of the ten houses and the other four were dark. In a place as small as this, that was unusual to an extreme. He was about to say something about this to Crowley when the spot beneath his eye gave a particularly painful throb. It was puffy and Halt was beginning to think it was getting an infection. Glaring at his companion, Halt nudged Abelard to travel along the ridge so they could find a place to camp. The Moondarkers would have a rather large camp set up and he wanted to find it before dark.

Halt was heading south, the way they had come, so he could get a view of where he predicted the false beacon would be and the town itself. Not to mention he'd seen a great place on a plateau not far off where they could set up an observation post. Crowley, on the other hand, started going north; away from the way they had come. Halt turned in his saddle.

"I'm going to set up a camp where I can see if any ships are coming," Crowley said, he had turned to look at Halt. Halt wanted to say something, where he was going would be fine to see far off ships but the angry side of him was a bit glad he wouldn't have to be with Crowley through the entire operation. Instead he nodded and tabbed Abelard's sides, sending him into a gallop.

By the time Halt found the plateau again, it was nearing sunset and he still needed to set up his tent. He'd decided he wouldn't start a fire until he knew where the Moondarkers might be camping. It wasn't until after he'd finished taking care of Abelard that he realized Crowley had most of their food. Usually he'd carry things like tents and things while Crowley would carry food and supplies like so. It worked out on missions where they worked together seeing as Crowley was the better cook so while he'd cook, Halt would set up tents. Cursing slightly, Halt dug through his saddlebags and came up with some stale bread, his canteen and what he thought was the remnants of the breakfast he'd made himself the day he'd cut his thumb. It smelled alright but he wasn't that ecstatic about it when he came to think about what Crowley might be making. Even if he didn't have a fire, he could make something better than this. Halt sat down on a flat rock and began to eat on the leftovers he had. He ended up throwing the bread halfway across the clearing for the birds and was tempted to do the same with the breakfast. Eventually he finished it and the sun was almost gone. He stood and felt something wet land on his face. Looking up at the sky he saw dark clouds heading towards them and let a grim smile touch his lips. Crowley may have the food but he had the tents.

* * *

Crowley didn't actually end up going north like he'd said he was. He'd gone a few feet into the forest after Halt had galloped off then made a roundabout route to a clearing he'd found earlier. It was a fair distance away from the plateau he'd seen Halt eyeing but was close enough to have almost the same view. The sun was low in the sky by the time he got there and he decided to forget his plan to try and find the Moondarker's camp. His stomach growled as he took care of Cropper so when he was done, he went to the food in his saddlebags, ignoring anything else.

He grabbed some jerky and water, he couldn't start a fire and he really wasn't in any mood to make something of his usual standards. Sitting down with his back against a downed log, Crowley stared absently at a rock in front of him. His thoughts weren't really on the rock though. Part of him was still stuck on the events on the road with the follower. Maybe Halt had been right; the man had most likely been a hired man with no more information than the tree he lean against now. Even so, he couldn't care less about the follower. He'd held a knife to Halt's neck. He knew things had been bad between them but were they really _that _bad? Though he tried to deny it, Crowley knew he'd been ready to kill Halt. Even if the feeling had only been in him for a fleeting moment, it had still been there.

The only thing that dragged his thoughts away from that was Pauline. He didn't even know where to begin there. He tried to ignore it as best as he could but she seemed to mention Halt quite a bit. It annoyed him and he knew he should have probably ended it a long time ago when he began to notice the mentions more but he couldn't bring himself to. He'd known her for quite a long time and it'd taken long enough for him to get to where he was now. Even if that had been by accident. Maybe if he'd gotten the courage before Halt came along it would have been different but it was too late to fix that now. Something inside him told him it just wouldn't work with Halt in the picture but another something forced him to believe it could work.

By the time Crowley realized it was raining, he was already pretty soaked. He stood hurriedly and fumbled towards his saddlebags. The sun was basically gone and the only light he had was that of the stars. When he got to the bags, he cursed worse than Halt had when he cut his thumb. He looked around, there were a few trees in the clearing he could sit under for the night but he doubted they'd keep him all that dry. Groaning, Crowley dragged his feet over to a tree and collapsed into a sitting position. Why had he left the tents with Halt?

**Pretty much a filler but you should still review;)**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Okay, I went AWOL for a while but that's because 80's annoy the fuzz out of me and I knew not a thing in German that I needed to. But I got a 98 on German so I been writing since like Sunday to get this chapter done.**

Halt glared at his saddlebags. There was no food whatsoever and his stomach was voicing its annoyance. He was half tempted to go and ask Crowley for some food but there were two problems. One, he didn't even know where to look for the other Ranger. For all he knew, Crowley could have gone back to Redmont. Not that he would mind all that much at the moment. And two, he simply didn't want to ask him for it. That'd be breaking down in Halt's mind and he simply couldn't do that. Maybe that's what people always meant when they were brave enough to tell him he was stubborn. Leaving his thoughts to wander, Halt began to unpack Crowley's things from his saddle so Abelard wouldn't have to carry the unnecessary weight. When he was done, his hunger still hadn't diminished.

Opting that he could simply hunt for his food while looking for the Moondarker's camp and set up a cooking fire a far ways away, Halt grabbed his bow and whistled softly. Abelard came trotting to him from across the clearing and he saddled the horse. Tapping his sides, Halt was out of the clearing just as the sun was beginning to rise.

* * *

Crowley groaned as the early light of the morning sun hit his closed eyes and woke him. He was shivering from the crisp wind that came over his wet body. He was still in his sitting position from the night and his neck had a bad cramp while the rest of him was sore. He tried to glare at the sun but found it really only made his eyes hurt more. Turning away from the bright rays, he stood and stretched his aching body. Scratching the slight stubble on his chin and rubbing sleep out of his eyes, Crowley walked over to the saddlebags that were almost as wet as he. Inside it was a bit better and he managed to salvage some bread that hadn't been drowned. Maybe he should have closed the bags before he'd gone to the tree. He bit onto it and tore a hunk off as he thought of what to do. He didn't fancy spending another night like that and based on the puddles on the ground, it wasn't going to dry in a day. He'd have to get his tent and gear back but he most definitely didn't want to ask Halt for them back.

Cropper came trotting up to him and Crowley was a bit annoyed to see his horse was dry. He must have found shelter in the woods not far off. Patting the horse's muzzle, Crowley decided he needed his stuff. He wasn't going to ask Halt though. Halt wouldn't ask him for any food and therefore he wasn't going to break their silent argument and ask for his shelter back. Most likely, Halt was going to try and find the Moondarkers today so there'd be quite a bit of time for the commandant to sneak into the clearing and grab his stuff. Crowley saddled Cropper up and mounted, heading off in the direction of Halt's clearing, with any luck his friend would already be gone.

* * *

Crowley dismounted Cropper about twenty feet from where Halt's clearing was so he could proceed on foot. It took him a minute or so on his quick footwork and he took shelter behind a wide tree's trunk. Peering around it slightly, Crowley swept his eyes over the clearing. Nobody was about. The commandant did it again, this time searching more carefully. There was no fire going as he expected but he didn't see Abelard around. He studied the tent for a moment, looking at the cloth for signs of movement but found none. The only thing he heard was the whipping of the wind as it surrounded him and made his clothes flutter about him. Crowley locked his sight onto a pile of things outside the tent and let loose a grin. Halt had removed his things from the saddlebags and left them there. Maybe he wasn't as unlucky as he'd thought.

The commandant whistled and Cropper began to make his way towards his master as silent as a horse could be. Crowley patted the animal before starting towards the pile of his stuff. Under his cowl, his eyes flicked back and forth. He was half convinced Halt was simply residing in a tree, using the stuff as bait and ready to…attack him maybe? It was ridiculous but Crowley couldn't help it. Halt hadn't exactly looked at him kindly after he'd held a knife to his throat and at the moment they weren't the best of friends and Crowley knew Halt didn't completely trust him. Even after everything with the war but more so now after the matter with Pauline. Crowley had seen how irrational Halt could be when angry and he shuddered at the thought.

As Crowley bent down to gather his stuff, he felt something was off. He stood suddenly, an arrow already pulled back and ready to shoot. Cropper was tense beside him and he motioned for the horse to lie down. If anything started flying through the air he didn't want his horse hit. He looked around the small clearing but saw nothing.

They moved as one. Or so it seemed to Crowley as at least twenty men leapt from trees with swords, spears and shields. Like anybody else, Crowley had failed to look up. Before the circle could close completely, Crowley made a signal to Cropper and the horse stood and took off. He knew it wouldn't return, it would obey the order and maybe he would run into Halt. Besides the weaponry, the group's clothing and appearances seemed rather disheveled. They were all silent and had on grim expressions. Crowley gauged his options; he had twelve arrows in his quiver and knew he could most likely get a decent amount of them down but he knew that he couldn't accomplish that before he got killed. He was a Ranger but even the greatest couldn't take on twenty men surrounding them behind and in front. If Halt was here and they'd been together, Crowley knew it would have been much different.

So as another man pushed past two of the others and entered the small ring, Crowley released tension on his bow. He still held it in his hands though and the man noticed this with a bit of a frown.

"We have you surrounded, set your weapons down," the man stated in a flat voice. He was about the same height as Crowley. His hair was the color of a midnight sky and his grey eyes seemed to glow against his tanned skin. By no means was he wimpy Crowley discovered as he sized the man up. Like some of his men, for Crowley had deciphered him to be the leader, he carried a broadsword with a shield.

Crowley didn't say anything, he wanted to come back with a striking reply but he had none. Halt would have, he thought miserably.  
"I said, put your weapons down," the man said again, this time in a dangerously low voice. Crowley straightened himself a bit so he appeared a smidge bit taller than the other man and glared at him.

"I am a King's Ranger, I suggest you leave me be," Crowley said neutrally. He had no doubt these were the Moondarkers and he knew they were a group to be wary of. This was mostly because they did have experience in fighting and weren't swayed by myths of the Rangers and their 'dark magic'. It was odd that they'd be out in the forest and away from their camp but Crowley realized that somebody must have seen him and Halt advancing and alerted the group. If there was a threat in the area, it wasn't unusual that they would try and deal with it before running. Moondarkers made a good living in their crimes and to run would be dimwitted if you had found a good spot. The man burst out in laughter though there was nothing humorous in his eyes. A few of the men in the circle gave wolfish smiles.

"And I suggest you place your weapons on the ground," he said, abruptly stopping his laughter and adapting his dangerous tone. Crowley stayed silent again and watched as the man caught somebody's eyes behind the commandant. The commandant didn't have any time to spin around as something sharp sliced him across the shoulders. Stiffening, Crowley's jaw clenched and his eyes turned to slits. When he was able to relax a little bit, he felt hot blood running down his back and a searing pain stretching across his shoulder blades. Despite the pain, he held onto his bow. "I could kill you now. The only reason you're standing is because I need your friend and in order to get him, I need bait. I'm sure I could get him here another way but this is much easier. I don't take kindly to people who make my plans hard. So I'll tell you once more: place your weapons at your feet." The tone was quiet but carried to all ears and sent a shiver up Crowley's spine. Slowly and keeping his eyes on the man, Crowley set his bow on the ground and removed his knives as well. "The cloak included," the man snarled and Crowley, hate filling his eyes as he watched the other man, removed his cloak and laid it at his feet on the pile. "Grab him."

Crowley heard swords being sheathed and the clatter of shields as they were handed off. A moment later he was grabbed by two large Moondarkers. Two more men were issued to grab his things. The group seemed to gather into a small force as they left the clearing. To make matters a bit worse, they were heading opposite the way Halt had gone.

**First off, this is one of those instances where you have to just let a small detail go like Crowley not looking up. Yes, they would have made a noise but, I think I mentioned this, wind was all he could really hear. Another thing is Cropper, this is before Halt got the Arridi horses so the horse isn't as capable at detecting things as the ones we're used to and I made a lame excuse for him to leave because I forgot about him and realized he couldn't sit there and then be left without a mention...please review...**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**I would like it noted that I was wrong in the last chapter's Author Note. The horses are not from Arridi but from the Temujai so THANK YOU FLAMINGLAKE:D:D:D:D:D:D:D I really should have known that...**

Halt slowly pulled back his arrow and narrowed his vision to only include the one spot on the deer he wanted to hit. The midday sun glinted off its hide and made it appear a beautiful coppery color. At the moment the animal had its head down, munching on a small piece of grass in a small glade, unaware of the all too dangerous predator watching it. Halt measured angles and trajectories and whatnot in the span of less than a second before he released. The exact second that Halt felt the bow string slip free of his fingers, the deer looked up in alarm and took off like his arrow had. The weapon thudded into the ground a few meters behind where the deer had stood and Halt cursed as his stomach gave a moan of disappointment.

The Ranger looked around the clearing and spotted a horse making its way across a bit lazily. As he crossed the distance between him and his arrow, Halt found that the horse was Cropper and frowned. Why was he here? Replacing his arrow in his quiver, Halt grabbed the horse's reins a bit unnecessarily. The animal didn't look alarmed but Halt could tell something was wrong. He looked back into the tree line, expecting Crowley to come crashing through but nothing of the sorts happened. Getting a bit worried, Halt drew another arrow and turned in a full circle, scanning the area around him. Above, below and level.

"Crowley?" Halt called, his annoyed expression hidden in his cowl but his tone showing enough. The twit was probably pulling a prank on him to try and get his stuff back. There was no answer and Halt didn't see nor sense any danger. He looked back at the horse with a bit better attitude as he saw the saddlebags. Crowley's saddlebags. The saddlebags with food to be precisely exact.

Halt gave a low whistle and Abelard came to join him as he dug through the damp bags. He grumbled something before pulling out the only good thing he could find which was a slightly stale piece of bread and some jerky. Everything else was soaked. While he ate what little he had found, Halt continued glancing around the glade. Was Crowley really not here? He would have jumped out by now wouldn't he of? Where was he if he wasn't here? The questions went on and on and finally Halt had to come to the conclusion that his companion wasn't hidden in the trees. Not that he cared though right? The bastard had held a knife to his neck and had been ready to slice his throat. Not only that, but Halt could think of their fights over the past few days and therefore think of more reasons he wouldn't want to know where Crowley might be.

Halt finished the food he'd dug out of the pack and still there was no sign of Crowley. He was a bit agitated at this. Where the hell was he supposed to do with Cropper? He didn't even know where to begin searching for his fellow Ranger's clearing, even if he wanted to and he was certain Crowley was just in the trees someplace. All he knew about Crowley's clearing was that it was closer to the town. At least, that's what Crowley had told him.

"Probably just doing one of his pranks. Jokes on him though, he's not getting you back," Halt grumbled to Cropper. Figuring he was getting nowhere just standing in this glade, Halt mounted Abelard and signed for Cropper to follow as he tapped Abelard's sides.

They arrived back at Halt's clearing and he froze. There were footmarks everywhere in the mud. They overlapped each other and were clear in the soft earth. Halt dismounted, looking around a bit shocked. Was this what had happened to Crowley? As he bent down and examined the tracks more carefully, he could see they weren't extremely fresh but still rather new. He could almost see a scene playing out in his mind. The group had surrounded somebody or something, Crowley he expected, by his tent. Taking hints from the prints surrounding the trees and lack of clear prints before then, Halt predicted the band had hid in the trees and jumped down. From there he could only tell that whoever had been standing in the middle had been dragged away according to the deeper prints.

"What the-"Halt stopped outside his tent where he had left Crowley's tent and whatnot. The tent and things were gone and he saw a space that had a knife outlined in its mud. Halt bent down to pick up a small black box no bigger than the size of his palm if that. It seemed to have escaped from being taken and Halt opened it curiously. He slammed the box shut when he saw it was a shining ring. One used for proposals.

* * *

Crowley and those who had taken him captive kept up a fairly brisk pace down the mountain until they hit a road that lead into the village. Crowley looked around with a frown; there was a sickly sweet smell around. Something he smelled a lot after battles and as they passed a house on the outskirts, Crowley saw where the smell originated from. All around the border of the town there seemed to be the bodies of those who had lived there. It couldn't be more than ten families, most without kids, but it was still shocking to Crowley. The last time they'd faced the Moondarkers, the group hadn't been so violent. Something must have changed in their ways and Crowley felt a shiver run up his spine. He needed to tell this to Halt. The Ranger would be looking for their camp for who knew how long when they'd really taken over the town and murdered those in it.

Crowley was lead to a small cabin in the middle of the town and forced inside where he was thrown to the floor. Grumbling, Crowley stood and began to brush himself off as the door closed. Pointlessly, Crowley tried the door. It was no big surprise to him that he found it locked. He took in the dim room. There was a small window up near the top of the wall that had the door but other than that the room was bear. Crowley sat down and closed his eyes to think. What was he going to do? Halt would definitely find the tracks but would he come after him? It surprised the commandant that he wasn't sure what Halt might do. Up until this point he would have had no doubt Halt would have come to his rescue but over the course of a few days he'd found Halt could surprise him. Their bitterness at each other and Halt's stubbornness could be his downfall.

The Ranger found himself being lulled into a sleep due to his lack of proper rest the previous night. The hard wood floor greeted him and Crowley gave a small smile, it was much better than the tree he'd used. With that, his mind went blank.

**Yay! Crowley is now in trouble! This is looking better:D Please review**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Okay, so I am super happy right now, school has been half canceled for tomorrow because of Hurricane Sandy! Okay, that isn't exactly a great thing so I'll say this: If you've been effected by this then I hope you're okay and all that.**

Halt stood there dumbly, his breathing deep and his eyes showing anger. His knuckles were white around the ring's box as he imagined himself crushing it with the power of a bear. Eventually he found that his anger wasn't fading and he threw the box into the thick mud at his feet with a furious snarl. It lodged itself into the sludge and stuck; Halt turned away from it, not wanting anything to do with it and ran a hand through his hair. What was he going to do? He didn't want to go after Crowley, his excuse being that the man was a damn Ranger and shouldn't have gotten in a situation like this in the first place. Despite that thought, he knew that the tracks would most likely lead him to the Moondarker base which he had been unsuccessful in finding. As he started swaying towards the option of following the tracks, Halt figured he might as well find the Moondarkers so he could slam Crowley's head through a wall. Or several.

After taking down his tent and packing everything away, Halt went over to Abelard and stroked the horse's head then mounted. Cropper went to follow but Halt made the signal to stay and Cropper, thinking of Halt as a second master, obeyed, continuing to graze on the places where there was clean grass. Halt tapped Abelard's sides a bit more forcefully than he might normally have and Abelard looked at him curiously before beginning a fast pace following the mass of prints leading out of the clearing.

The tracks led him to a main, if you could call it that, road that went into the village. Halt stayed back in the trees as he dismounted Abelard to follow the trail in the woods. A feeling of dread was rising in him, more from a sixth sense than actual knowledge of what was going on. The wind was coming downwards, carrying his scent back to Abelard and Halt smelled something…sickly on the air. He paused, blending into a tree trunk as he did so. The sun was getting low in the sky and the shadows helped his cover. He knew this smell, he didn't enjoy it but he knew it and had smelled it many times before. Though that wasn't a good thing. It was on the tip of his tongue and remained there for a few moments before it finally came to him. Death, that's what it was. With this breakthrough, Halt felt his stomach twist into a knot and debated going back.

Looking into the sky, Halt saw there was still at least an hour of light left and he needed to use it. He'd seen the very tip of a ship's sail in the very far distance. They'd be at The Pockets by the next night and he needed to find out a way to make sure the Moondarkers didn't get this ship. Normally he and Crowley would have set up a post and watched hours on end for a ship but apparently they'd arrived in time where that wouldn't help any. Halt tried to bury his nose into the side of his cowl to block the smell as he moved on, acting as a shadow as he flitted from cover to cover.

* * *

Crowley's eyes snapped open as he heard a noise. At first he was confused as to where he was but as it came back to him, he relaxed somewhat. There was a creak that sounded like it came from outside the door to the cabin he was in. Somebody was coming up the steps that led to the entrance. Peering up at the window, Crowley saw that it was late at night, the moon not giving any light off as it was almost completely gone this time of month. Perfect for the Moondarkers kind of operation. Crowley wasn't really sure he wanted any visitors, especially at this time of night. Shouldn't they have been asleep? Something told the commandant something was up, despite what Jackson, the leader he had met earlier, had said, Crowley wasn't convinced he was all that needed. He stood up and backed into a corner, prepared to defend himself if it was needed. There was another creak, this time it was close to the door and Crowley knew that whoever it was, was about to open the door.

"Corgain! What do you think you be doing?" a harsh voice called and Crowley recognized it as Jackson. There was the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the steps and stopping where the other pair had.

"Just making sure he's still here," another deep voice muttered back.

"And that's why you have your damn sword ready correct?" Jackson snarled and there was a smacking sound followed by a few curses. "Get back to your cabin, we need him as bait."

"Yes sir," Corgain responded in a voice suggesting defeat. There was the sound of one set of feet retreating and Crowley was about to relax before realizing that there were two people outside. There was the sound of the door being unlocked before it opened to reveal his captor. "You're lucky I'm acting on orders," Jackson said, staying in the open doorway. "If it were up to me, I would settle for killing one Ranger."

"I thought you were a Moondarker. Why are you doing this?" Crowley questioned, making himself appear less concerned than he was. Jackson let loose a savage grin.

"We are Moondarkers, we just handle our captives differently than others might have," was the smart reply. Crowley had nothing to say to that and stayed silent. "Last time we came around here, I escaped on a small vessel along with seven others. Remember that?" Crowley nodded. Before the war, he and Halt had dealt with a band of the rebels and he clearly remembered almost half of the band escaping. "Well when I returned, I found out somebody had killed my brother. My point is that as soon as we are done with you, you better watch your neck. An arrow might sprout from it if you don't," Jackson concluded. "Now get some sleep, you have a big night tomorrow." With that, Jackson slammed the door shut and locked it, leaving Crowley a bit more shaken than he had been. The chance that Halt would show up was starting to dwindle. Was there even a chance at all at this point?

**Okay, so Halt should have been a lot more angry...please review**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Yah! I accomplished something on my day off!**

Halt winded up sleeping under a tall tree back where he had left Abelard, waking up to find his bum was wet. He was protected from the full glare of sunlight by the tree's branches above him. By now he was adjusted to the sickening smell though it still churned his stomach. Stretching as he stood up, Halt was in a bit of a panic. He knew that the Moondarkers would be luring in the ship once the sun fell and he didn't have any clue of how to stop it. He was still mad with Crowley and perhaps that was his problem. He was so wrapped up in fuming that he couldn't think straight and choose the clearest path to success. Perhaps that path would start with getting Crowley so he wouldn't have to face this alone. He'd figured out that any villager that had survived had joined the Moondarkers, boosting their numbers up to at least twenty men. He was just one Ranger. And no matter what one Ranger he was, there was no way he'd be able to take on twenty men. With Crowley it still wouldn't be that much in their favor but it would be a far better chance than trying to take it on alone. Normally they would try and recruit the men in the village but this savage band had made that option to be unavailable. For a few moments Halt debated going to another pocket and gathering a small force but he didn't have time to get there, get at the very least ten men, a small but possible force to win with, and then bring them all back before night fell.

Frustrated with it all, Halt made the mistake of kicking his saddlebag. Cursing a few times over a now stubbed toe, he dug around to find some leftover food from the rabbit he had finally managed to shoot. As he sat on the damp ground with a sour face, Halt tried to sort through the problem. He could try and get Crowley, against his willingness and more for the sake of the mission, but he didn't know where he was being held or if it was guarded or if he were even still living. There were too many factors mixed in and it would most likely just cause a large delay. Normally they would try and capture the Moondarkers but, at this point, that wasn't looking like it would happen. All Halt could see happening in the best outcome at this moment was him sneaking into the camp past who knows how many men then throwing the dye into the fire then proceeding to somehow make a getaway. Maybe he could get a few men down but he doubted it'd be all that possible and if he looked at it realistically, he couldn't even see himself getting to the fake beacon without getting something stuck through his back. The headland the beacon was placed on was free of trees; most of them had been cut down to provide the town with lumber to build the cabins way back when.

Halt dragged himself up from his sitting position again and slung his quiver over his shoulder. Grabbing his bow and pulling his cowl up over his head, he motioned for Abelard to stay. Anybody who saw the shaggy pony would assume he was a simple wild horse. Before Halt tucked the saddlebags under a nearby bush, he removed something wrapped in an oilcloth. It was a sack of dye that, when thrown into the fire, would turn the flames a blaring yellow or red. Tucking it into his inside pocket, Halt shoved the saddlebags into hiding then started out of the clearing like an early morning shadow. Maybe he'd get lucky and be able to pick off a few Moondarkers.

* * *

Despite Jackson's command for him to sleep, Crowley did almost the opposite despite his extreme tiredness. He wasn't afraid or embarrassed to admit he wasn't all that confident in what he was going to do. As the night had worn on, he'd been expecting Halt to come blasting through the door but nothing of the sorts happened. Now early morning sunlight was streaming in through the small window and he was left with the conclusion he was just going to have to figure out on his own how to get free. He'd estimated that there were at least twenty men in the camp so there wasn't much chance in fighting them all. It'd require a bit more stealth than force. Crowley stared up at the ceiling from his sitting position and forced himself to concentrate. He needed to figure something out.

* * *

As the village drew into Halt's sight, there was the sign of work being done. Men were carrying wood to the fake beacon and setting out torches and whatnot in front of houses so they could light it and create the illusion of the fake beacon being the real one. The Ranger glanced around, there were at least ten men setting up the false beacon and making sure everything was set while five rushed about the houses, checking a piece of parchment no doubt detailed with how the town looked like from sea. Another two were standing guard on the small porch of a cabin near the middle of the village. The final three, who Halt assumed led the group, were walking around and dictating things that they thought weren't going well or thought could use improvement. It would be simple to dispatch of them now with three arrows but the Moondarkers were organized, three more of the group would simply rise to fill the spot and Halt knew that taking them out would only result in himself being discovered. Cloak or no cloak, Ranger training or no Ranger training, nobody could run and hide from at least seventeen grown men out for blood.

He continued watching the preparations, particularly the setup of the beacon. There were always three men there, seven would go and fetch supplies or somebody would take a boat out and check that it looked real but there were always three there. As the seven went to gather more wood, Halt sensed an opportunity. Slinking along through the trees until he reached the end of them and the start of the headland, Halt drew back an arrow. He was about forty meters away from his targets, something he could accomplish. As soon as the first arrow was in the air on its way, Halt unleashed two more. The projectiles smacked the three men in their chests not a second behind the last. No words shouted, the men fell into the ocean, the tide dragging them away from the land. Halt started his retreat; maybe they would discover the bodies, maybe not. Either way he didn't want to be around when the others returned.

One good thing, he thought, was that now he'd only have to deal with seventeen when he came back.

**Please review:D**


	12. Chapter 11

**Happy two days after Hallowe'en!(Thank you SeekerMaxia for that spelling;)) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

The hours stretching from morning to when it became dark seemed to go achingly slow for Crowley. He'd come up with several methods of escape but none were certain and only seemed definite on getting him out of the cabin and into a new situation. One where he was surrounded by big angry men holding pointy weapons. At this point, the only thing he could think of to get him out of here was Halt and that wasn't a definite that the Ranger would show up. At the moment he was simply waiting for somebody to come get him and use him for whatever they planned on doing. Jackson's threat still played in his mind and he couldn't help the small shiver that ran up his back. When Crowley could barely see his hand in the small light from the room allowed in from the window, there were footsteps outside. The door opened to admit a large man.

"Get up," the man barked and Crowley realized the voice as Corgain.

There was a wicked blade in his muscular hands. He was dressed in rather rugged clothing compared to other Moondarkers and seemed a bit worse for ware as well. Outside it was almost completely dark, the stars were coming out in the sky and twinkling brightly. The moon was completely gone so Crowley didn't have enough light to see specific features of the man. Other men rushed around and were lighting torches. Crowley did as he was told and Corgain grabbed him by the arm. Once they passed by a guard on the porch, Corgain started whispering quickly.

"You're a Ranger right?" Corgain asked though he knew the answer. "I'm Corgain; I was the village's leader before these savages came through. They killed our families, and we want to help get them out of here," he said without waiting for an answer and fell silent as a Moondarker rushed past them. Corgain was leading Crowley towards the real beacon, across the Pocket from the fake.

"What do you have planned?" Crowley said quickly. Here was a chance to get out of his situation and he was gripping onto it.

"There's Ralph, Nicholas, Jacob, Matthew and myself. The others were slain with their families, like we should have been," Corgain said the last part softly and Crowley knew what he meant. These men were proud in their families and work, living when the rest died would have been a nightmare. "The Moondarkers are set up to take out the ship coming in but there are three men waiting for your friend. Two are by that cabin over there," Corgain nodded towards a cabin situated only a few meters away from the fake beacon. It was most likely a storage unit. "and the last is guarding the torch. Ralph, Jacob, Nicholas and Matthew will be with the party waiting for the ship. They plan to start slaying them when the ship comes into view everybody will be wrapped up in the fighting," Corgain finished. They were at the beacon. Crowley went over the plan in his head. There were plenty of faults in it but it was the only real choice they had so he nodded.

"Sounds good but where do I come in?"

Corgain ignored him for a moment while he kept up the act of treating Crowley like a prisoner and throwing the Ranger against the framework.

"Sit down," Corgain instructed and Crowley did just that while the large man directed the Ranger's hands behind his back and around a post on the framework. "I snagged your weapons and cloak; they're in a bush over there." Corgain directed Crowley's attention to a bush not too far away. "Act as if you're struggling but don't actually pull on the rope. I'm not tying it tight so you can slip out when the action starts," he explained after he'd 'tied' Crowley's hands together. The commandant nodded his understanding. "I'm posted here to give you a whipping so you yell and get the other Ranger's attention, once it starts I'll be going to join them," he went on as he stood and pulled a whip off of his belt.

"Sounds like a plan," Crowley said and watched as the giant fake beacon was lit, sending up a flaring light. All that had to happen now was the ship to come.

* * *

Halt's breathing was low and steady as he studied the preparations the Moondarkers were taking. He was situated in the forest around the same position he'd been earlier. He had a plan: shoot for the man guarding the fake beacon, rush in and throw the dye in the fire once the ship was in view then hope for the best during his escape, but he knew it wouldn't work. There was simply no way that he could do that without help. Maybe he'd keep the ship from falling for the fake beacon but then what?

Gripping his bow in one hand, Halt stopped his thought train. It would be fine; he'd get in then get out and then figure out something else to do. Maybe he could pick them off one by one on their own until there were none left. Or maybe he'd get desperate and get Crowley. All he knew was that he needed to focus now. The sun was quickly disappearing from the sky and the stars were making appearances. Sight was getting harder and harder from a distance and Halt resisted the urge to shift into a better position.

Finally the beacon was lit and Halt braced himself for the moment the ship would come in close enough to see the fire. As the fire got a steady flame, men rushed into the little cover around the headland, ready to run aboard the ship they were luring in. Finally the vessel appeared and there was a small rustle of excitement down by the headland. It settled quickly and Halt realized it was his time to act. Halt didn't have to make any movement to grab an arrow from his quiver and silently raised his bow until it was at the altitude he wanted. He drew the arrow back and quickly judged distance and wind speed and anything else. He released the bowstring but at the last moment his fingers were touching the sting he jerked.

This wasn't due to nerves either; this was due to a bone chilling yell of pain that rang across the silent ground. Crowley's yell to be exact.

**Yay! Somebody gets hurt finally! Please review;)**


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**I'm supposed to be working on a mystery story for English right now so this is a special chapter I have dedicated to procrastination. My best friend;)**

The whip landed in the soft earth beside the commandant and he gave the best false yell he could muster. He thought it turned out rather well but Corgain gave no sign of acknowledging it and raised the whip again. It crashed down, digging a gouge in the ground. Again Crowley let out an anguished yell. Before Corgain could raise it again to slap it down, there was a sudden burst of angry shouts coming from where the Moondarkers were set waiting for the ship. Corgain took off, unsheathing a sword as he went and not waiting for Crowley. The Ranger ripped his hands free, an easy task, and hurried to the bush where his things had been placed. It felt nice to have his cloak on his back and his bow and hand. The familiar comfort of sharp knives at one's waist could do wonders.

Almost unconsciously as he ran towards the fighting, Crowley's hand went to a pocket on the inside of his cloak. He almost stopped dead when he found it was empty. Not having time to dwell on it, Crowley powered on, his feet carrying him speedily after Corgain. It wasn't long before they reached the fighting where he drew his knives and started slicing.

There were three men around him and before he could see how the others were fairing, he was blocking an overhand stroke angled towards his neck. His movements didn't register with his brain until he'd completed them and he didn't try to think about it, leaving his instincts to overtake him. Before long his hair was plastered to his forehead by sweat and he was taking deep breaths. The Moondarkers were experienced and knew how to use numbers to their advantage. One would lunge towards him and while he was busy deflecting it, another would try. There were more close calls than he'd like to have. Eventually as one enemy tried to take a swing at his middle, they made a mistake and took too large a step forward so he was in range of the commandant's flickering blades. There was a strangled cry as the man collapsed onto the ground. His companions, not expecting him to collapse, were tripped up by him. Crowley took advantage of the mess up and took them out.

Panting slightly, Crowley cleaned his blade on a fallen man's shirt once he saw nobody was rushing to fight him. There were three men left standing not counting himself and he was calm for a moment before remembering something. Halt.

* * *

Halt's gaze swept the ground, searching for the source of the yell that he was sure had been his friend. He caught a slight movement far off near the real beacon and tried to decipher what he saw. There was a tall black smudge that shifted a bit and after each movement there was a yell. It only happened once more before there was yelling from where the Moondarkers were set up. Halt quickly adjusted his sight and saw that there was fighting going on. The black smudge he had seen rushed towards them at a fast pace and close behind him was another figure with a cloak flying out behind him. Halt scowled, he didn't like being the only one besides the enemy unsure of what was happening.

Deciding they could handle themselves, Halt turned his gaze back to the man guarding the fake beacon that was still burning strong. That's what he needed to do, get the dye in the false beacon. No matter what was going on down by the water, he knew that he was the only one that could get the message to the ship that the beacon it was heading towards was fake. It seemed simple enough, one man, easily picked off at a distance, then the fire. With the distraction down by the water he didn't need to worry about anybody coming to help prevent him from his task.

So, seeing the shot in his mind's eye, Halt took care of the one guard and then took a deep breath before beginning his mad dash towards the towering fire. What a mistake that was. As he neared the large beacon, two figures came rushing from the black shadows by a close cabin. Halt didn't hear them at first as the fight by the water was creating a loud background. When he did register the sound of nearing footsteps it was too late to do anything but keep pressing forward and get to the fire. Drawing to a sudden stop, Halt tossed the sack of dye into the fire, it took a moment but the fire turned from a pleasant orange to a deep scarlet red the same color of blood. Halt had little time to celebrate his victory before the first point of pain hit him. Turning around, Halt did his best to ignore the flair of pain in his shoulder has he tossed his bow aside and drew his knives. One of his attackers was already taking a level swing as to cut through his middle and Halt tweaked the sword with his knife so it missed him. The man recovered quickly and started lunging towards Halt with his sword while his partner did the same. Halt continued to fight them off, receiving cuts and scratches every now and then. Some of his movements were clumsy as his shoulder refused to move a certain way.

Eventually he found that he was backed up against a leg of the beacon and losing breath. They were talented, that much was obvious as Halt's response became slower and slower due to his injury and limited human strength. A particularly hard swing from an assailant sent Halt's saxe knife to the ground someplace. Figuring his throwing knife wouldn't do any good, Halt tossed it to the ground and removed his strikers from an inside pocket. They wouldn't do much at this point but maybe something would go wrong with the Moondarkers and he'd be able to use them. There were cruel smiles on the Moondarkers' faces as one of them raised his sword to take a swing at Halt's neck. Halt felt his stomach twist and clenched his brass weapons tightly.

* * *

Crowley was quick to look at the fake beacon about twenty meters from where he stood now. What he saw made his blood run cold. A figure was backed up against the beacon and seemed helpless as a tall figure facing him raised his sword. Acting rather than thinking, Crowley grabbed his bow and drew an arrow from his quiver. It took half of a half of a half of a second for the arrow to be on its way. Another arrow was straight behind it with Crowley running in their wake.

The arrows hit their marks with startled yells that were quickly silenced a few seconds later by a swift slashes to the necks. When the body's lay still on the ground, Crowley looked to Halt who was panting slightly.

"Glad to see you again," Crowley said.

Halt looked at Crowley angrily. How could he think that doing that would make everything okay? Especially with the ring. Not thinking too much about what he was doing, Halt stepped forward and swung his fist, clenching the striker, into the side of Crowley's jaw.

**Please review**


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**With this random Monday night update I bring good tidings! I tis be finished with my English story thingamabob! Finally figured out an ending;) So if you want to look at it, I plan to put it on my profile by tomorrow night! Yah...not that big a piece of news but you know...it's stuff**

Crowley felt pain surge through his face as he fell to the ground. He landed on his stomach and propped himself up a little so his chest was off the ground. Spitting blood out of his mouth, Crowley felt his head throbbing. He spit again and saw a tooth land with the pool of red.

"What the hell was that for?" Crowley growled as he turned over. Wiping his mouth with his cloak, Crowley stood up. He just ended up smearing it as more red fluid came from his mouth. By now the three survivors from the battle by the water were around them, watching with interest.

"That was for not inviting me to the wedding," Halt snarled and threw the small ring box at the commandant. It bounced off of his chest and landed in front of him.

"I don't know why you're so worked up. I just saved your damn life," replied Crowley in a heated tone. It hurt to talk and Crowley felt his jaw going numb and felt the slack of his words because of it.

"I didn't need any of your help," Halt snapped angrily. He knew it was a lie, he'd be headless now if it wasn't for Crowley but he wasn't about to admit it.

"Really? The way I saw it was you were about to die. Maybe I should have let that happen, at least then I wouldn't have to listen to you anymore." Crowley spit again and this time the blood was less.

"Do you have to keep spitting?" Halt growled, abandoning the other argument as he knew he had no ground to stand on.

"Sorry but I seem to have an unhealthy amount of blood pouring from my mouth at the moment. Something made possible by a no good little prat of a prince who isn't thankful his pathetic life was saved!" Crowley shouted. It was stupid, he knew it was and Halt knew it was and almost anybody there knew it was overreacting but added to their recent past and what he'd been holding back, Crowley didn't care. Then again, he had saved Halt's life and the bastard had repaid him with knocking out his tooth. "You're lucky I did that! I noticed you weren't exactly rushing to save me! It took somebody with actual dignity to help me!"

"I did my job as a Ranger while you were sitting back pretending to get whipped. You were the one being so stupid as to not look up and get captured!" Halt could feel his heart beating as fast as it did when he thought he was going to die. It was a somewhat exhilarating feeling though in a terrifying way and it made him feel a bit angrier than he rightfully should have. "Why don't you just go celebrate your survival with Pauline? Or even better, why don't we swing by Selsey and gather Alison?"

"Why don't you just get over it Halt? Accept the fact that she doesn't want you anymore!" Crowley shouted, taking a threatening step towards his one-time friend. Halt didn't flinch or back up, if anything he moved forward. By now Corgain was running his thumb along the sword he held as if preparing to jump in if things got too rowdy. His companions were silent.

"You know, I'm quite sick of you acting as if you're something important. The only reason you got the job of Commandant is because nobody else wants to deal with a boatload of paper. We all knew you'd be willing to sit behind a desk doing nothing," Halt taunted.

Crowley, fueled by anger and not much more, lunged towards Halt and tackled him. Completely consumed by the desire to smash Halt's face in, Crowley didn't realize how much damage he was causing. Nor did he pay much attention to the punches and slaps Halt managed to get on him. It was as if he were an animal finally getting the prey that had evaded him for so long. Even when Corgain pulled him off of Halt, Crowley fought to get free. It was as if his only purpose was to hurt Halt more.

Crowley, now restrained by Corgain, was panting and shaking a little. He watched as the other villagers hauled Halt up onto his feet. The Ranger looked in bad condition. His shoulder was still injured but he now had a gash in the side of his head from a rock Crowley had absent-mindedly grabbed and his eye was puffing up. Added to a bent nose and a pretty bad bloody lip, Halt didn't look as tough as he had before.

Satisfied by Crowley's current lack of fight, Corgain released him and the Ranger took a step towards Halt, his eyes not showing the least bit of a sorry attitude. Corgain hesitated, unsure of whether or not to let the Ranger proceed and saw the same hesitation in his fellow men. In the end they decided to leave him be, there wasn't much more he could have done to Halt.

"I'm saying this once: You had your chance Halt. I didn't plan for any of this to happen and I've tried to explain that to you more than once but you won't listen. So maybe you will now. I'm going to do this," Crowley said and picked the ring up from the ground nearby. "I don't care if you don't like it or if you don't want it to happen," he added before turning around to walk away.

"And when she finds out that you flirt with everybody, you'll lose her," Halt snapped, his lip and nose making his voice and words sound messy.

Crowley turned around fast, his fist slamming into the side of Halt's head before anybody could do or say anything. Halt's head jerked to the side then rested on his shoulder, leaving him unconscious. Crowley felt Corgain's hand on his shoulder and allowed himself to be led away.

"You're going to regret that," Corgain whispered.

**Holy crudmonks Crowley! Why you gotta do that? Please review**


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Here we go!**

Crowley paused outside the door to one of the cabins. Inside he knew Halt was lying on a couch, whether or not he was awake was a different matter. After the fight, Corgain, who had emerged as a leader, had directed everybody to bed once Halt had been put inside. Crowley hadn't bothered to help with his companion, instead going into a cabin Corgain had assigned him. It'd been a bit of a restless night, he couldn't shake the words Corgain had told him. When he reflected on it, he did sort of regret hurting Halt already. They'd practically been brothers. Even if they had gotten in fights over the past few days or so, nobody had gotten seriously injured. Even with the knife. Now, however, he had knocked Halt unconscious without a second thought. To say the least, he wasn't that thrilled to talk about it.

The day had been spent digging graves for the Moondarkers. They had basically been holes in the ground and Crowley hadn't thought they'd deserved that small amount of honor but Corgain had made the point the bodies could bring wolves. When that was done, they dug holes for their two fallen companions and then for the rest of the villagers who had been murdered. After the graves had been dug, there had still been a few hours left of daylight and Crowley had winded up going into the forest to find the horses. It'd been fairly easy to find Abelard as Crowley had simply started whistling until the horse showed up. Once he'd found him, Crowley had gone to Halt's clearing figuring that there was no place else better to look. Once he'd gathered his own horse, it'd been a short journey back. By then it was getting to be dark and Corgain had suggested Crowley go to see Halt in case he awoke.

Rearranging his composure so nothing could be determined about him, Crowley turned the doorknob and entered the room. It was a bit dim from the light let in from the windows in the front. A fireplace was on the wall to the left while a small kitchen area was set on the right. A door across from the entrance to the cabin led off into another room. In the middle of the room was a couch where Halt was lying now. Ralph and Nicholas were sitting in wooden chairs by the couch talking. Crowley knew that they were both rather depressed on the inside but they'd put on brave faces. Something Crowley admired, by now they'd figured out that this pocket was most likely going to be closed until a population big enough to support it could be placed there. Corgain, Nicholas and Ralph were going to set off towards the closest Pocket once Crowley and Halt left.

Ralph looked up at Crowley and gave a faint smile.

"Need time alone?" he asked and Crowley shook his head. Ralph stood anyways. "Well if you're going to stay then I'll be on my way. Corgain probably needs help making supper. That man seems to think the worse it smells, the better it tastes," Ralph joked and Crowley gave his own small grin. Crowley took the seat by Nicholas as Ralph closed the door.

"Has he woken any?" Crowley questioned in a disinterested tone. Nicholas looked at him and shook his head.

"I know it's none of my business Ranger, but you mind explaining why you did that?" Nicholas asked blatantly as he motioned towards Halt. His voice was deep, matching his big appearance. His eyes seemed a deep grey like they were always trying to see past something and his black hair seemed to add something dark to him. Despite that, Crowley had learned he was a rather pleasant person.

"I was angry," Crowley answered simply.

"I'm angry. My whole family is gone and I'm almost all alone. Let me ask you something, people aren't too fond of Rangers are they?" Nicholas said and Crowley nodded. There were a select few, a small amount of villagers, King Duncan and some diplomats, that weren't frightened by the Rangers but others would do most anything to keep their distance from the mysterious group. "Well, he's all you got. If I learned anything from this mess the Moondarkers created it's that you can't do things like this because you're angry. I can't count the times I wanted to hit Corgain. He's the leader of this village and he was supposed to protect us and our families but I didn't because who else have I got? You're a Ranger, sure, there are those who aren't afraid of you but there aren't that many. Do you really think it was smart to do that to one of those few that are close to you?" Crowley sat there as if he were a child being scolded. He knew that wasn't Nicholas's intent but it sure felt like it.

"Why are you telling me this?" Crowley enquired. He knew that Nicholas was right but was a bit surprised at the man's sudden decision to tell him this.

"Because I know what it's like to lose somebody close because of something stupid. From what I can see, you two are close. I'm not going to question what you yelled at each other but from your reactions to what the other said, it seemed it cut deep. All I'm saying is don't let it get too far." Nicholas's eyes seemed to be studying Crowley and, feeling he needed to do something, the commandant nodded.

"What do you plan to do once you get to the other Pocket?" Crowley asked, diverting from the other subject. Nicholas looked at his hands.

"Exactly what I've been doing here, not much more I'm good for as I never learned how to read or write," he answered and Crowley nodded, Nicholas had been one of the men that simply guarded the warehouse and went as protection during the trading season. "I'll be off then," he added.

Crowley watched him leave and then looked back to Halt when the door closed. Halt's right eye was swollen shut and there was a nasty bruise forming around the gash from the rock. His nose was bent though a little less now since Corgain had tried to straighten it. There was a cut going along his puffy lower lip and Crowley had to look away. He didn't want to admit it but he did feel bad about it. The commandant stood and went to leave but was stopped when he saw Halt's left eyelid flicker open.

"I'll go tell Corgain you're awake," Crowley muttered hurriedly, now realizing he didn't have anything to say. What did one say after beating their ex-best friend?

Halt tried to sit up but fell back down as his head spun. Unsuccessfully he tried to open his right eye. Under different circumstances Crowley might have laughed at what the effort made his face look like.

"N…need anything?" the commandant questioned, shifting from one foot to the other. Nicholas's words echoed in his head. Halt glared at him.

"Water," he replied disinterestedly after a long pause. He was looking at Crowley with a neutral expression and Crowley nodded, turning to leave.

**More of a filler I'd say...you should still review though because if you don't and the snuggies get you then you'll be in their dungeons thinking of how you didn't leave a review criticizing everything wrong in this.**


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Okay so before you read this, I am going to tell you something you probably couldn't care less about. I have decided to attempt to write my own original novel. It's on wattpad and my username is GeneralBralt. So if you want to check out more of my attempts and most likely fails at writing, go on ahead and check it out. **

When Crowley returned, Halt had managed to get into a sitting position and from the fact he looked a bit nauseous, Crowley figured it wasn't the best position. Halt accepted the water quietly and drank it in the same fashion. When he was done, he set the glass on the floor. There was an uncertain pause in which Crowley realized how interesting the scars on his hands were.

"When we leaving?" Halt asked abruptly. Crowley, not thinking Halt would say anything, hadn't been listening and looked at Halt with a question. "When are we leaving?" Halt repeated.

"Whenever you feel up to it I suppose. I was planning to stay tonight then see how you were faring tomorrow," he answered easily. "Anything else?" Halt shook his head and Crowley turned around. He was almost to the door when he made up his mind and turned back. "Halt-"Crowley stopped, trying to sort through his thoughts.

"Yes?" Halt pressed after a few moments. Crowley looked from Halt to his hands then back to Halt before he said anything.

"I'm sorry," Crowley said loud enough so that he wouldn't have to repeat himself. Halt raised his eyebrow. "For doing this to you," he explained and Halt waved an agitated hand.

"I know what for, I'm just wondering as to why you're doing it," Halt muttered and Crowley cast him the questioning glance again. "I'm not exactly the victim in this situation," Halt explained. Crowley scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm going to go get some food," Crowley said quietly and turned around. As he opened the door and went to leave, Nicholas appeared holding two bowls of what looked to be soup. "Give mine to Halt, I'll go get more," Crowley said quickly and exited. Nicholas made his way to the chair he had taken residence in earlier and handed Halt a bowl. Halt accepted it silently and took a sip from it.

"So you heard what I had to say?" Nicholas asked quietly after a few quiet moments. Halt looked at him, unsurprised. Crowley hadn't seen his change in breathing but apparently Nicholas had. Halt nodded slightly and continued to drain his bowl. "How's your head feel?"

"Like I have a miner chiseling away from the inside out," Halt answered grimly.

"Can you still remember what happened before you slipped under?" Nicholas pressed. Halt nodded surely and immediately regretted it as his vision swam and the miner decided to pound harder. Halt set the bowl on the ground slowly then relaxed back into the couch some, waiting for his head to stop spinning. "I think these are yours," Nicholas said and reached down with one hand to grab a sack of items that were by his seat. Halt took it and peered inside. His knives, cloak and strikers were bundled inside. "Your bow and arrows are by the door," Nicholas added before Halt could ask and the Ranger nodded. They slipped into silence again for a few minutes before Crowley was back. "Well, seems I'm no longer needed here, if you need anything we'll be in the cabins nearby. Corgain has a guard schedule set up, I'll come wake you when you're needed Crowley," the man said before leaving.

Crowley sat down and looked at his bowl but didn't do anything with it. Halt watched him closely, waiting for him to say something first so he wouldn't have to. Eventually it became apparent that Crowley wasn't in the talking mood for once so Halt took a deep breath and organized his thoughts.

"You should do it," Halt said, his voice clear and almost echo like in the silence that had stretched on for what seemed like forever. Crowley looked up at him.

"Do what?" Crowley asked though he had a clue.

"Whatever you want," Halt answered, he couldn't bring himself to actually say 'propose' when he knew who it was to.

"Right," Crowley replied. Halt was a bit frustrated by this. He knew he wasn't being the best conversationalist in the world at the moment but it'd help if Crowley tried to say something more than one or two words at a time. Was it always going to be like this?

"Can you say anything more?" Halt snapped, not realizing he'd voiced his thoughts until Crowley looked at him with a bemused expression.

"What?"

"The problem used to be that I couldn't get you to shut up and now I can't get you to talk unless I ask something first," Halt explained, figuring there was no bluffing out of this. Crowley felt a smile tugging at his lips.

"I didn't think that you'd want to talk much. You're always saying I talk too much so I was trying something new," Crowley explained with his grin and Halt rolled his eyes. Crowley smiled wider at the familiar action before growing serious once again. "Halt, I really am sorry, I shouldn't have gone this far with Pauline. If I hadn't done that then we'd have made a pretty clean defeat here."

"I'd say it was pretty clean with defeating the fools, maybe not so much with anything else," Halt stated. He looked at Crowley seriously as if telling the commandant to drop it. Crowley took the hint and ran a hand through his hair before yawning.

"I suppose we'll be leaving tomorrow then," Crowley said and tipped his head before making his exit.

* * *

A few days later Castle Redmont came into view around midday and the duo sped up their mounts. In about twenty minutes the sound of hoof beats on cobblestones was bouncing around the courtyard. Those rushing about the square hurried to get out of the way as the Rangers made their way to the stables. The most they'd said to each other the entire journey from The Pockets to Redmont was Crowley mentioning the fact that Halt would have to see the healer at Redmont for his shoulder. Halt had grunted in reply and nothing more was said.

Now, as they rode the horses into the stables, the silence continued. When Crowley had finished brushing down Cropper, he debated waiting for Halt. He eventually decided against it as he wanted to go do something he considered more important.

"You want to go tell Arald we're back?" Crowley asked before he left the stables. It was more of a hopeful suggestion than a true question and Halt glanced at him once before nodding.

"When do you plan on leaving?" Halt replied before Crowley could escape. The Ranger looked over his shoulder and up at a window in the castle before turning back to Halt who was done with Abelard.

"Depends," the commandant replied truthfully before turning and heading away at a quick pace.

**There we go, please review**


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Okay...so I think this is the end...ummm...here you go:**

The commandant took the stairs up to Pauline's office by twos. When he got there, he was slightly out of breath from his hurried pace and the tad of nervousness seeping into him. Before he knocked, he felt his pocket for the box he'd twirled in his hands so many times on the way back to Redmont. Taking a deep breath, he rapped his knuckles against the door. Before he heard the answer he was opening the door. Pauline smiled and stood up from behind her desk to greet him in a hug.

"Where's Halt?" the diplomat asked, noticing the second Ranger's absence. Crowley released her and felt his original glee fade. Despite this, he kept his appearance the same.

"I want to think he went to the infirmary but he's most likely seeing Arald," the commandant responded. Pauline looked worried at that and he felt his shoulders lower the slightest bit. The ring in his pocket just felt like extra weight now. If she was as worried about Halt as she looked then there was no way he'd be able to rest easy marrying her.

"What happened? Is he okay?" she asked, snapping Crowley out of his disappointment.

"You can ask him when you go see him," he muttered and went to turn around. Pauline stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Why the sudden change in attitude?" she queried. Crowley could see she wanted to leave. Most likely to do exactly what he'd suggested.

"Just…Just go see Halt. We weren't going to make it anyways," Crowley said as easily as he could. By now he'd turned his face into a mask. At first she frowned at the answer then Crowley saw the sadness. Though he was sure it wasn't real sadness, there was no way possible it could be.

"Crowley," she said flatly, releasing his arm as she did so.

"You know it's true Pauline. You can stop trying to think otherwise," the commandant pressed. Inside it wasn't as simple. Inside he was practically beating himself for saying this. Here she was, rejecting what he was saying about them and yet he kept persisting that she was wrong.

"Stop it," she said sternly and Crowley offered a small smile. He knew it looked fake but Pauline didn't pay any particular attention to it.

"What was the first thing you said to me?" Crowley asked lightly, keeping his tone neutral. Why was he doing this? Half of him told him he was simply being an idiot, nothing new if you asked certain people, but the other side said it was because of Halt. There was no answer from Pauline and Crowley huffed in an amused fashion that was as fake as his smile. "You asked where Halt was then you asked if he was alright. I can understand you asking if he was alright but think about it. Why would you ask where he was the first time you saw me? I would have expected a 'Welcome back' at least before that," he explained. Pauline had no answer and he nodded as if that was proof enough. "I have to go now," he stated and turned around once more.

This time there was no hand to stop him.

* * *

Halt dismounted Abelard in a fluid motion once he reached the cabin, paying no attention as his newly bandaged shoulder protested at movement. Not caring if he was heard or not, he strode to where targets were set up to shoot at. Crowley stood flinging his knives at the circles hidden in the trees like professional enemies. The solid thud rang out twice then there was the sound of three arrows hitting different targets as he switched weapons as fast as someone might change their boots.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Halt said angrily behind the commandant. Crowley lowered his bow, placing the arrow he'd gone to shoot back in the quiver. Turning around he met Halt's annoyed gaze.

"I thought that's what you wanted?" Crowley responded. He didn't sound angry but he wasn't in one of his best moods either.

"You can't just do that. You can't just lead her out this far then decide to be an ass," Halt snarled. For a moment Crowley thought he was going to pick another fight but no fist came swinging towards him.

"I knew it was going to be like this at one point Halt. It would have been worse if I'd followed through with my plan. There would have been too much doubt in her decision. I don't want that," Crowley replied easily. He kept himself relaxed as not to promote any violence.

"Don't give me that," Halt fed back.

"Fine, you want to know why? I did it because I knew it was stupid. If you hadn't cared about us and didn't like her then I most likely wouldn't have ever considered the idea of marrying. I suppose the idea came when I realized you might take something from me that I wanted to keep at the time." This time Crowley let himself dissolve into a little anger. He knew it was a partial lie. Maybe it was true but it was too late to find out.

"You selfish little bastard," Halt growled while grabbing ahold of Crowley's collar. The commandant showed no signs of caring besides dropping his bow so it was out of the way.

"Stop Halt. Maybe I am selfish but think about it. Isn't this what you wanted? You may not want to say it but you know I'm right," the Ranger said calmly. "We've fought like drunken idiots for the past week or so, I'm done with it," he added and saw the anger seem to die out in Halt's eyes as he released his hold.

"I didn't want this," Halt said as if it was stupid to consider the opposite.

"Maybe you didn't want it the way I went about it but you did want it Halt," Crowley pressed. The Ranger didn't answer, having nothing more to say. There was no point in arguing the matter and Halt had a feeling Crowley wouldn't relent in his decision. It felt odd having the commandant do something like that because of him. Halt knew there was no way he was even going to attempt to get Pauline back right now though. The matter of her had started the fights and it didn't feel right to have a victory like this. "Truce?" Crowley asked, extending his hand for Halt to shake. Halt didn't hesitate; in all honesty he'd hated their fights. If not because it tore them apart then it was because he could barely move in the mornings from the bruises. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to take advantage of being the commandant and demand you give me some of your coffee."

**Yeah, put this down as the worse ending to a fic ever. I truly suck at endings...At least the picture for this finally makes sense eh? Well thanks for all the reviews...yeah...have a nice day y'all and don't move west without going north first**


	18. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

**Okay, so since I hated the ending and I saw all you readers didn't like it the best either, I've come up with an epilogue!**

Crowley slipped up the stairs to Halt's cabin, applauding for himself on the inside as he cleverly avoided the squeaky step. It'd been hard making it this far without making a sound, the hardest part being signaling to Abelard to be silent before he'd made any noise. Cropper was settled back a bit in the woods, content on grazing. Not bothering to knock, Crowley cracked the door open the tiniest bit, wincing as the thin layer of rust on the hinges announced their movement. The commandant froze, waiting for Halt to yell at him to shut the door before the floor froze over. The remark didn't come and Crowley frowned as he slid through the door. He had prepared to start lecturing Halt on how he was losing his touch but the words he'd so carefully thought of flew out of his mind at the sight before him.

Before he could control himself or even think of leaving just as silently as he'd entered, laughter began to tear out of him. So much so he ended up doubling over. In front of him, Halt jerked back quickly from where he had stood kissing Pauline. Said diplomat somehow managed to fix a smile upon her face as she smoothed her dress out, making her professional appearance come back. Halt looked suitably embarrassed if that's what you would call it. He was looking at Crowley, his eyes seeming to size up the laughing commandant to judge how much effort it would take to put an arrow through him.

"I have to go, see you at dinner," Pauline said after a short and awkward pause. She quickly laid a peck on Halt's cheek before striding past Crowley and out the door. Had either of them followed her they would have seen her reddening features.

"S…sorry if I…interrupted anything," Crowley said now that he'd calmed down some. Despite the fact he was supposed to be a professional at hiding his feelings, he couldn't fight the grin that stretched from ear to ear across his face.

"What do you want?" Halt snapped, clearly not amused by the commandant's entrance.

"Just dropping by, I had to see Arald and figured I'd drop by lonely old Halt. Apparently you aren't as lonely as I had first thought," Crowley said joyously. "So how long has this been going on?" he queried. Halt shrugged as if he didn't know but Crowley had a suspicion that it was a simple bluff so Halt could feel some of his pride was still intact. Crowley could tell he needed it as the other Ranger's ears were visibly red.

"You aren't angry then?" Halt asked oddly. Crowley frowned, confused by the question.

"Why would I-"Crowley stopped midsentence as the reason came to him. His grin faded a bit as he recalled the many fights that had broken out over that matter. Shrugging, Crowley replaced his grin. "I told you it would happen. I just figured it'd happen before you turned grumpy and grey," he added and Halt glared at him harder, causing the commandant to dissolve into laughter again. "So tell me, when's the wedding. Seems it should be soon from what I just witnessed."

"Haven't decided when, just asked," Halt muttered and Crowley stopped mid-laugh as he saw Halt's ears redden to the color of tomatoes. Crowley raised an eyebrow in shock as smile covered his face.

"Getting a little soft are we?" the commandant teased. Apparently this was the wrong thing to say as Halt quickly overpowered Crowley and grabbed onto the back of his collar. It was a short trip outside and around to the back of the cabin to a deep stream that cut through the forest. Crowley started laughing again. "Come on Halt, don't do this," he laughed.

Halt ignored him and gave a big shove, sending the commandant into the stream. Crowley latched his hand onto Halt's pants before the shove came and Halt landed with a splash beside the commandant. Crowley was the first to surface and immediately fell back down as he saw Halt emerged beside him like a lake monster. Halt, in no good mood from his own dip in the chilly water, started to trudge his way out.

"Wait!" Crowley yelled as he jumped up from the water, almost collapsing again from the weight of his clothes. Halt turned to glare at him, raising an eyebrow as he did so. "I'm the best man right?" Crowley said, not capable of keeping the laughter out of his voice. Halt rolled his eyes and lunged towards the commandant, dipping his head under the water as he did so.

**That any better? Please review. Oh and thanks to all who've helped with this story when I was stuck!**


End file.
